Sesame Seed
Sesame Seed is an oil rich product, coming out of a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. There are a number of similar wild varieties of seeds found in Africa and some restricted varieties in India. It is widely grown in tropical regions throughout the world and is mostly cultivated for its edible oil resource, which grow up in pods.
Sesame seeds are grown and used for extraction of edible oil, which is used in most of the parts of India. While the oil is put into cooking use, the by-product of sesame seed cakes that come during extraction of oil is the main fodder for the cattle, particularly bullocks and cows.
With its rich nutty flavour, Sesame seed and also, the oil extracted from it are common ingredients in cuisines across the world. It is also true that this seed can trigger allergic reactions to some, like few other nuts and food items do.
Sesame seeds are smaller in size, mostly black in colour, although white coloured sesame seed is available and are popular. Many other forms and colour varieties are now known among sesame seeds.
Sesame seeds are used for religious purposes too, Hindus using it during oblations done to the departed souls, while the food items connected with sesame seeds in black colour are believed to please the cosmic influences, such as one done by the Planet Saturn.
It is also widely believed that Sesame Oil is helpful as a food ingredient, as compared to other fatty oils, particularly those having issues with their heart condition.
History
Sesame seed is known to be one of the oldest oilseed crops of humanity, put into domestic use well over 3000 years. It used to be a major summer crop in the Middle East for many thousands of years, as revealed by the existence of many ancient oil extraction presses for sesame oil in India. Sesame being a drought-tolerant agricultural produce, countries like India had been growing this seed when other crops were given up during drought times.
Sesame had many species, most of them being wild varieties and the type Sesame Indicum is the cultivated type originated from India. However, many wild species of the genus Sesamum belong to the nativity of sub-Saharan Africa.
The charred remains of sesame that were recovered from archaeological excavations are found to be of 3500-3050. There are claims that trading of sesame had been there between Mesopotamia and the erstwhile undivided Indian dominion in 2000 BC. Few reports state that sesame was cultivated during the Ptolemic period in Egypt, while few others suggest production of Sesame during this period in the New Kingdom.
Sesame finds a place in the records of Babylon and Assyria, dating about 4000 years ago and Egyptians had called it sesemt, including it in the list of medicinal drugs in Ebers Papyrus scrolls which are 3600 years old. Turkish Archaeological reports reveal that sesame was grown and pressed for extracting oil 2750 years ago in the empire of Urartu.
Uses
Sesame seeds are used both for Nutrition and health requirement, apart from taste related culinary aspects.
Sesame is used as a common source of human nutrition, like Simit, a kind of bread coated with sesame seeds, also called Gevrek or Koulouri is a common dish in Turkey, the Balkans, Greece and the Middle East.
Sesame seeds have been a resource for food and oil, one rich with its oil content, some varieties of seeds exceeding 50 percent oil content compared to others such as soybean yielding only 20 percent. Sesame oil is also considered one of the most stable vegetable oil with enduring shelf life, because of its high level natural antioxidants, which are sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol.
Sesame Oil is put to culinary applications as salad oils and margarine. This ingredient contains about 39 percent linoleic and 47 percent oleic acid. Sesame seed oil like sunflower seed oil, rich in Omega 6 fatty acids, but lacking in Omega 3 fatty acids, is considered medicinally advantageous for heart patients.
Sesame oil has a protein of 35 to 50 percent, proving good and effective carbohydrates with water-soluble antioxidants called sesame meal is an excellent high-protein feed particularly for poultry and livestock.
Most of the Fast-food restaurants use buns with tops spread with sesame seeds. Little wonder, approximately 75% of Mexico's sesame crop is acquired by McDonald's for their use in sesame seed buns worldwide.
In Tamil Nadu, India, sesame oil is used extensively in their cuisine, while Milagai Podi, a ground powder made of sesame with dry chili is used as a side dish for their famous Rice Cake, a breakfast item.
Sesame seed cookies and wafers are popular throughout the world and are famous in places such as Charleston and South Carolina.
Cultivation
The world-wide production of Sesame Seed in 2010 had been 3.84 metric tonnes and Burma had been the largest producer of this item. India being the largest exporter, Japan claims the place of largest importer of Sesame Seeds.
Sesame varieties are adept to many soil types and the high yielding crops thrive best on well-drained and fertile soils of medium texture with neutral pH.
Sesame being a small flat seed, it is very difficult to dry it after harvesting because the small seed tend to fly if the wind is more. Therefore, the shrewd cultivator allows it to dry before harvesting. On harvesting, the seeds are cleaned up and hulled for onward transportation.
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